Serendipity
by Freya's Valhalla
Summary: 'It is common knowledge that Itachi is a man of few words and even fewer friendships.' In which a girl becomes Itachi's shadow, and Shisui is amused. They were kids once, too. Canon. Pre-massacre.
1. White camelia

**A** **/N: Just to clarify, even though this might look like an OC story, it technically isn't, since Uchiha Izumi is property of Masashi Kishimoto (and whoever else participated in her creation). Therefore, she can be considered canon. For those of you who are not aware of her existence, you can find Izumi both in the Naruto novels released last year in Japan encompassing Itachi's life pre-massacre, and as of now, in the Anime (Shippuden) as well (** _ **remember Tobi mentioning a former lover to Sasuke in the manga? Well we finally have a face and name.)**_ **This being said, since you can barely learn anything as far as character development goes from these sources, I have taken artistic liberties with her characterization and life events. Everyone else will be kept in character as strictly as possible.**

 **Anyway, Itachi is always fun to play with. Hope you enjoy my attempt at making him seem a bit more, say,** _ **normal,**_ **before everything went to Hell.**

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" _Explore me,' you said and I collected my ropes, flasks and maps, expecting to be back home soon. I dropped into the mass of you and I cannot find the way out."_

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Shisui isn't really sure how or why it happens, but Uchiha Itachi starts being tailed by a scrawny little dark-haired girl shortly after the Kyuubi is unleashed upon Konoha. He thinks it a funny sight, seeing as they never even talk at first, she just becomes a part of his daily activities, like the soundtrack to a movie or a blooming flower amidst the forest. She becomes his shadow. It's also surprising, since it is common knowledge that Itachi is a man of few words and even fewer friendships, yet he allows the girl to trail after him seemingly undisturbed. It takes Shisui two weeks to bring himself to ask Itachi what's the deal with the girl that keeps on following them as they stroll down the village, and sits on a tree branch for hours as they train.

"Is she like, your girlfriend?" Shisui whispers, sitting down while Itachi takes out a water flask from his bag. He doesn't even flinch at Shisui's comment.

"Of course not," he replies before taking a sip of water.

"You don't have to be embarrassed or any-

"I'm not."

"- thing, Itachi, but maybe you guys should actually talk to each other? It's fine if you want to go on a date-"

"What?"

"- now and then instead of training with me."

Itachi stares at Shisui in utter confusion. This conversation has gotten way out of hand.

"Shisui, this is nonsense." He glances over his shoulder at the girl, who is currently engrossed in reading a book, completely unaware of their exchanges. "There's nothing going on between her and me. I don't even know her."

Now it's Shisui's turn to stare at Itachi, eyebrows furrowed.

"Then why is she always with you?" He asks in wonder.

Itachi sighs. He's not really sure himself, so he's at a loss of words to explain to Shisui what exactly is going on.

"I might have saved her life."

He tries his best.

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It takes Shisui another full two weeks to learn the girl is actually of their kin. The familiar onyx eyes, slender frame and graceful poise, it all falls into place now. There's something else in her too, a silent chaos. It's like a crack on a teapot, still held together but unpredictable. _She's a half blood,_ he hears his mother tell, _Came practically begging for financial aid the other day, now that her father's dead._ Shisui can't imagine the tiny quiet girl he knows standing in front of Fugaku and the elder's, much less begging.

The sun is at its brightest when Itachi and Shisui make it to the new training grounds, courtesy of Konoha's council now that the Uchiha have been relocated to the village's outskirts.

"Father says this is part of our property now", Shisui points out, "I guess the benefits of fear and suspicion aren't so bad", he teases, grabbing shuriken and kunai from his pouch. Itachi follows suit and pulls his hair in a loose ponytail.

"People are angry about it, Shisui. I heard them complaining to father at yesterday's meeting."

"People always complain about everything, they're never content with how things are", he flips several shuriken in the air, "but I get it. It is clear they do blame us for the attack after all."

They hear footsteps approach. They don't need to turn to know to whom they belong. Shisui lowers his voice.

"Do you ever wonder if it _was_ one of us?"

Steel glimmers from hand to tree, whistling in the air. Itachi stares at the four kunai ebbed on the wooden target.

"If it was… then they clearly failed. We've gained nothing from it."

They've all hit bull's-eye.

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Itachi lives up to all expectations any Uchiha could have. He exceeds them. The Ninja Academy feels more like a playground than an institution for future assassins in training. So he strives for perfection and casts shadows to keep him out of trouble. Unfortunately for Itachi, the better he does, the more interested both his teachers and peers become in him. Boys scoff and taunt him, while girls swoon and sensei exhibit him as a role model. Itachi keeps his head down. And all along, the girl keeps an eye on him from her seat. She punches the dummy next to Itachi's, walks behind him from class to class, even fetches the extra homework sheets from his tutor for him, but she never talks, and Itachi says nothing. He realizes they've been attending school together for almost a month now, and still he hasn't heard her speak to anyone at the Academy. " _That's so sad"_ , _Shisui says, "You guys are only six, you're supposed to be making friends, you know, complaining about classes together and all that."_ Itachi doesn't completely agree with Shisui, but then he's never had many friends either, so he's not in a position to say what kids are supposed to be and not be doing. Itachi has never been much of a kid anyway. So when he runs into three girls making fun of her, snatching away her backpack and dropping all of its contents on to the floor, he does the adult thing.

"You shouldn't let them do that", he says once the bullies are no longer in sight. "You have to stand up for yourself." She glances up at him, gripping one of the books. He sees something flash in her eyes.

"If I did something, it would be worse." She states matter-of-factly. There's tiredness and resignation in her voice. Itachi is a bit taken aback, more from hearing her voice at all than at its weariness. A small smile plays on her lips then, and Itachi forces himself to keep still at the unexpected display of emotion. "Would you?"

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Words come easily after that. Like a stone blocking the natural course of the river, thoughts and remarks spill from their mouths once silence is broken. Shisui is thrilled. He finally has a name to call her by. _"It's Izumi, Shisui-san",_ and he can't get enough of it after being in the dark for so long. She explains why they'd never crossed paths before in the Uchiha compound. " _When mother married father, my grandfather was furious. He was proud of our heritage and kept raving about how my father would dilute the Uchiha blood. Once they moved in together out of the Uchiha stronghold, mother was disowned."_ Neither of them could care less about her heritage or lack of it, and they're sure to make it clear every time she tries to shy away from accompanying them to the Uchiha district. By the time she's comfortable strolling down its streets, the first year at the Academy is over. Itachi has been offered to graduate early, seeing as he's far beyond having mastered the basics.

"If you become a genin, you'll start going on missions", Izumi marvels, "I'm actually kind of jealous."

"D missions mainly deal with recovery, guard-duty and small skirmishes. They can hardly be considered _ninja_ work."

"Tell that to the one who has to stick to studying anatomy and _Hanakotoba*_ ", she rolls her eyes. Itachi smiles.

"Learning the language of flowers is an ancient art. All knowledge serves a purpose."

"Yeah, to _charm men_ ," she teases. Itachi shrugs. "Mother says that flowers are the language of the silent. Even when we speak in riddles, feelings betray us. Flowers don't lie."

Izumi stares at him dumbfounded, trying to stop herself from laughing. "How is it that you always sound so serious, even when we're talking about something as silly as flowers." It isn't really a question. Izumi dismisses his attempt to apologize.

"But since you think it's so great, I'll make use of my skill at this _ancient art_ ", she winks at him. Now Itachi really is sorry.

The next morning, Izumi stops by the head of the Uchiha's home on a quick detour before tending to the weekly shopping. _"I think this one suits you",_ she tells Itachi as he takes the white-colored flower from her hand. _"Please don't tell me it stands for something like smart-ass or success",_ he sighs as he observes his new-found gift. Izumi scrunches up her face. _"No, you silly",_ she swings her shopping bag over her right shoulder. _"It stands for 'waiting',_ she reveals, trying to adopt Itachi's default businesslike tone, " _Because it's like you're always waiting for something to happen, Itachi, but it never does._

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 _ ***Hanakotoba: the secret language of flowers. I think it's such a neat Japanese concept.**_

 _ **\- White camelia: symbolizes 'Waiting'.**_

 _ **You can look up "It**_ _ **achi Shinden: Book of Bright Light" to find some of the translated excerpts that inspired this fic. Reviews are welcomed :)**_


	2. Blood bound

**So here's the second chapter. I'm having a hard time choosing what to include and what not, cause there's so much I could write about Itachi, but I don't wanna get too carried away, least I lose sight of the story's plot. I still don't know if the story is only gonna deal with pre-massacre or if I'm gonna cover some post-massacre too… we'll see. I guess it depends on the attention it gets. Thanks for fav/follow/reviewing!**

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 _I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,_  
 _in secret, between the shadow and the soul._

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Uchiha are a clan grounded on discretion, branded by tradition and blood. It is no surprise then, that despite being but children, rumor of a halfblood befriending the clan heir would spark apprehension. For all that it's worth, Shisui only laughs at the growing whispers.

"For a people who pride themselves in combat skill, they have surprisingly skilled tongues to match", he jests, shuffling his hand in his pouch searchingly as he stands before Izumi. Itachi listens from a short distance, lifting the length of his hair to press a wet cloth at the back of his neck. Specks of water mingle with sweat drops down his shirt.

"I don't care what they say," Izumi retorts, "they're all lies." Shisui grabs hold of a blindfold.

"I bet they'd give you far more credit if they… knew of your talents," he grins at her, before adjusting the blindfold over her eyes. "Let's see what you can do in battle when your gifts are not at your disposal." Izumi bristled. Credit she'd be given, certainly, but what else she'd receive, Itachi wasn't sure of, nor did he want to know, in truth. He'd been the first to witness Izumi's blood boil in the form of a spinning tomoe in her eye. _Sharingan_. For all his genius, not even Itachi had unlocked still the most prized legacy of his clan. You'd think they'd be more open to sharing all knowledge of it, but Itachi had long become aware of the secrecy surrounding the Sharingan. Fugaku was not a man to shy before inquiries, but every time Itachi had brought up their kekkei genkai, his father had turn somber. _"_ _There are things better left unknown_ _, Itachi."_ So Itachi had ceased asking, and looked for answers elsewhere. He got the best one from Izumi. When Itachi had first told Shisui that he'd saved her life, Shisui had not pressed the matter further, sensing Itachi's mood darken. Izumi was not yet Izumi to them back then, and so Shisui was left to unravel the words on his own. It took several months for Izumi to concede. The tale was short and grim. Itachi had stood between the heavy blow of a building's wreckage and Izumi's lithe body the day of the Kyubii's attack. She'd been too shaken by fear to make it to the village's bunkers alone, but luckily Itachi had crossed her path and led her firmly to shelter, baby Sasuke squealing in his arms. Others, like her father, had not suffered such luck.

" _We were making our way towards the underground tunnels when…"_ Izumi had held her breath, gory images of her father's corpse blurring her thoughts _._ Shisui had placed a hand on her back then in understanding, and she'd said no more. Shisui learned two things about Itachi and Izumi from the account, that Izumi was bound to Itachi by grattitude and tragedy alike and Itachi bound to her by tragedy alone. From Konoha's longest night, Itachi only learned one thing. As he stood behind a girl, blood dripping from her raven hair after kneeling next to a dead man, he understood. Her charcoal eyes were marred by red, irises lost to geometrical figures. She screamed then, tears and blood running down her cheeks, and Itachi took her hand to make haste for their lives. He understood. His father had been right. Some things are better left unknown.

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Some might say that all Uchiha are gifted. They are unique after all, of the bloodline of the Sennin himself, although scarce possessed such knowledge today. Uchiha Izumi was not. That's not to say she was useless, seeing as she trained almost daily with the clan's own prodigies, but fighting did not come naturally to her. She had to work for it harder. What she lacked in strength and skill, however, she made up for in flare. Not surprisingly, Mikoto quickly took a liking to her. It was through Izumi's conversations with her mother that Itachi learned she had been a Jonin once, before she'd changed the battlefield for the delivery room.

"I've always wanted a daughter," Mikoto confessed one day, fingers splitting Izumi's hair in tresses to braid, "girls are a mother's comfort. Boys… well, they're too much trouble at times" she winked at Itachi, who sat in front of them, trying to pry Sasuke's hands off his shirt's collar. _Tell me about it_ , Izumi started, rambling about her classmates' childishness. Mikoto would listen to her outbursts till the end, and offer advice when heeded. Itachi was thankful to his mother, for treating Izumi with kindness when others would not. Her mother had been branded anathema, and so Izumi was deemed an outcast as well, yet she was welcomed to Fugaku's household, even if Fugaku himself did little to acknowledge her. It became a sort of routine, having Izumi home after their sparring seessions. Mikoto would serve tea and dango and apply salve to their tattered skins. Sometimes even Shisui would join, which tended to bring even Fugaku out of his study. Shisui had awakened his Sharingan at a young age and made Jonin recently, still a kid, and so commanded awe and respect. Izumi though, was another matter. When Fugaku learned that Izumi had unlocked her Sharingan, the news was not well met. That someone lacking pure Uchiha blood, living off Uchiha limits could bear the Sharingan… well, it was dangerous to say the least. Oblivious to politics, Izumi and the rest thought the knowledge was looked down upon merely because of her status as a pariah. They could not foresee the darker truths lying behind it yet.

"I heard Hatake Kakashi holds a Sharingan too. His teammate gave it to him when he died," Izumi marveled.

"Uchiha Obito," Shisui smiled sadly. "He was a good kid, not suited for the shinobi life." Izumi's mood sombered. Is that what they thought of her too?

"I can't believe their other teammate was able to transplant the Sharingan with so little time and means," Itachi revealed, "Medical jutsu requires excellent chakra control."

"I guess that's what it's like, to be trained by the Yondaime," Shisui pondered. "Don't worry kid, you have _me_ ," he grinned at Izumi and poked her side with his elbow mockingly to which she jumped a little and protested. Itachi half smiled at their quarrels, as there teasing had only increased with time. He would have envied such familiarity, the easiness with which they could both address people, so unlike him, if not because he held Shisui in too much esteem for there to be room for jealousy in his heart. Izumi, he thought, was made for smiling, despite all she had seen, and for that, Itachi too could not resent her. If he'd known all that was to come, he might have tried to make her smile more often.

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As a newly anointed Genin, Itachi is swept away by missions, albeit non-challenging ones, like he had foretold. What he finds challenging though, are his teammates. He thinks that if it weren't for Shisui and Izumi, who had in a way, ingrained in him the patterns of friendship, he would fair far worse with them. Tenma is loud and brash and Shinko doesn't fall far behind. They're both older than him, which was to be expected, seeing as he graduated a year early. Instead of inspiring protectiveness, his precociousness only makes things worse. It's not as bad with Shinko, as she adopts a somewhat sisterly demeanor towards him, only it makes Itachi despair, her taking so many friendly liberties with him, even if he knows she means well. He's glad his mother's wish for a daughter was not granted. Tenma, however, is another matter altogether. He's but another exasperating boy fresh from the academy, fueled by envy and a mind set to prove the world his worth. Shisui merely chuckles at Itachi's explanations and Izumi rolls her eyes, legs dangling over the village's lake as they share dango amidst the woods.

"I bet they're nicer than you say, Itachi, you're just impossible!" Izumi blurts out. Itachi narrows her eyes at her and Izumi snatches the dango stick from his hand before he has time to react. She grins mischievously and plucks the last sweet from the sticky chopstick.

"Now, now, boys, behave yourselves," Shisui jokes, laying one hand on each of their shoulders, his voice full of mockery. "You can't blame them for not being as cool as us. I'd be more worried if Itachi actually _liked_ them, that would be even more, um, disturbing?"

It was Itachi's turn to roll his eyes, as he swatted away Shisui's arm playfully.

"What do you say, Izumi? I think we should meet those two, maybe tell them a story or two about our _dear_ Itachi..."

"Like when granny thought he was a girl and tied a ribbon to his hair?" Izumi chirped.

"Or when he took a glass of shochu thinking it water and threw up all over the place" Shisui recalled.

Itachi was blushing madly by then, a rare sight to behold, as both kept on conjuring embarrassing moments of his life. He stood up to leave, Izumi clinging to his arm laughing as he walked away and Shisui trailing behind them with a wide grin, but still coming up with ways to tease him nonetheless. It would have been amusing to say the least, for the five of them to meet, brought together by the least unlikely to. It might have been great, had things not come to pass as they did. Shisui and Izumi never got to meet Tenma. He was killed on the road to Konoha, blood spurting all over as he fell to the ground, slain by a foreign masked shinobi. That is how Itachi saw it happen, right before his eyes as Shinko lay unconscious, hit as well, yet alive, by the same man. If only Itachi had known then, what was yet to come at this stranger's bidding. Izumi wept silently once Itachi told, sheltered in the village's domain, but away from curious ears. Taking his hand in his, Izumi glared at him. In the blink of an eye, Sharingan met Sharingan, and their gazes held as much crimson as agony. They spoke the language of pain now, the three of them. Behind them, Shisui closed his eyes and bowed his head.

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 **I** **f you have any suggestions as to any scene you'd like to read between these 3 or any other characters, please let me know. I'm always open to incorporating new ideas :)**


	3. Tiger Lily

**Here's the third chapter! Thank you so much to those of you who took the time to favorite, follow and review the previous chapters. I value all feedback I get, especially in this story, since I've never attempted to write something with this setting and character dynamic.**

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 _She wore flowers in her hair and carried magic secrets in her eyes._

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Shisui can claim he's seen Itachi do many things in his life by now, despite the shortness of it, and what he has not witnessed, he's been told. Mostly. Some, he wished had not happened. He's always happy to add a charming memory to mind.

"I swear you have like, _no_ fashion sense whatsoever," Izumi deadpans, flailing her arms over her head in exasperation. Shisui is seated behind her, kneeling over a stash of reports that need to be filed in next morning. He sees Itachi stare at her blankly out of the corner of his eye.

"Since when is that a shinobi's concern...?" He tries, but Izumi is already twirling around him, assessing his robe.

"Since you have to be in my presence," she states matter-of-factly, with just the right amount of mockery.

"Ah, don't fret so, Itachi, you _could_ use a makeover. Want me to make you look pretty?" Shisui teases, holding two imaginary pigtails on his head, grinning. Itachi glares at him, giving him the _I'd-throw-a-shuriken-at-you-if-I-had-one-now_ look he's come to master with time. Izumi ignores them, coming to stand next to Itachi as she tugs lightly at one if his sleeves, playing the part of a true seamstress by mimicking what she'd learned from her mother.

"Someone needs to tell Mikoto-san to fetch you a new spring kimono," and by that, they all new it was to be her. Itachi could not care less about his clothes as long as they kept him dressed and as much as it amused Shisui to have Itachi preoccupied with such trivial matters, under no circumstances would Shisui dream of engaging in conversation with the Lady of the Uchiha over her son's wardrobe.

In the end, things came to be as they always did since a girl had decided to follow a dark boy's steps: Izumi schemed, Itachi made as if to complain, and Shisui laughed. So it happened, that Uchiha Itachi received a new kimono that spring, for his birthday, June 9th, a bright silken robe the color of the sea, with a blood-orange colored phoenix engraved on its back.

 _"Mother says that if we brighten our outsides, our insides will cheer up as well,_ Izumi had told him when she beheld his mother's gift. " _Some silly girl probably made that up, but I was right, lighter colors do suit you after all, Itachi,"_ she'd said, face lit with awe that had almost made Itachi blush. He tilted his chin down slightly to watch Izumi's hands work out the stitching pattern of his clothing, and said nothing.

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"Gah, it feels like we're in Suna," Shisui complains, pulling at his collar with a stifled groan, his sweat drenched shirt sticking to his skin.

The sun weighs down on them, bright rays scorching the land.

Itachi heaves next to him, kunai in hand almost slipping from his moist palm.

"I think that's enough training for today, you two," Mikoto admonishes, sneaking up on them from the main house, carrying a tray with a water jar, two cups and a platter of dango.

Shisui sits on the wooden porch, surrendering to heat and exhaustion as his gaze bores into the sweets.

"You really are the best, obāsan," he grins. "Mother would rather watch me faint than encourage my sweet tooth," he confides dramatically as he picks up one of the skewers, to which Itachi rolls his eyes and Mikoto waves off Shisui's flattery.

As Mikoto pours water for them, she goes through the day's schedule, making sure to highlight that if Itachi were to miss out on family commitment over training she would be disappointed, to say the least. Sasuke more so. Itachi nods and gives her a weak smile. His mother always knew the means to use to get what she wanted.

It's not that Itachi doesn't like celebrations, like most would assume due to his quiet nature. In fact he enjoys birthdays, for instance, mainly because no killing is involved and Sasuke – and often Shisui – will end up smearing cake over his face and his mother will laugh and his father will scowl less. No, Itachi definitely doesn't dislike celebrations, but festivals… well that was another matter that involved smothering crowds, loud noises and plenty of social interaction, neither of which enticed him.

"Will Izumi-chan be joining us? I heard her mother has been sick of lately," Mikoto frowns in worry while she takes Itachi's left arm gently to scout for burns and scratches as if he'd just been in the battlefield. Itachi hadn't seen Izumi for over two weeks, having just gotten back from a mission the previous night.

Shisui shakes his head and bites into one of the dango balls.

"She's working at a takoyaki stall, her cousin's I think."

Itachi arches one eyebrow.

"I thought she was working at the Yamanaka's…?"

Shisui takes his time savoring the soft treat in his mouth.

"Um, yeah, she still is," he tilts his head towards Itachi, "but working at a food stand in Tanabata is way more profitable. It's only for today."

Mikoto claps her hands together.

"Oh, then I'll buy her some for Fugaku and the men at the Station and bring them by later," Mikoto smiles and muses in hushed tones, "I don't even remember the last time your father had a day off..."

Shisui starts ranting about _bentō_ and how married men eat better than the rest at work; Mikoto adding tidbits of cooking advice and arrangements now and then, while Itachi becomes lost in thought.

He thinks about life, death, war, peace, the shinobi way and several other too profound for a nine year old existential matters that plague his mind on a daily basis, but never has he pondered about money. It just isn't something he's had to worry about – ever. Itachi is heir to the Uchiha clan and though their estates could not even begin to compare to those of the civilian noble families across the Land of Fire, Itachi's close family will never go hungry. He hadn't realized that Izumi's might. Her father was dead, her mother was a seamstress of no fame who'd been disowned by their clan, and he kows close to nothing about Izumi's father's remaining kin. He makes a mental note to find out more about her family at his next chance.

Itachi is about to ask Shisui where Izumi's stall is when Sasuke comes barging into the room, madly swinging a ninjatō in the air at the cry of _nii-san ni_ _i-_ _san_ and _I'm a ninja_ _too_ _!_

Mikoto's eyes widen as she chokes down the urge to cry out at the sight of her youngest carelessly handling a sharpened blade. Shisui laughs at the scene instead, seeing that Itachi was standing by Sasuke's side in a split second, prying the sword from his brother's hands with soothing apologies.

Sasuke sniffs a bit at being scolded by Mikoto as she ushers him upstairs, trailing behind him protectively. Itachi waves his baby brother off with a smile, holding the ninjatō in his right hand. Sasuke was slowly perfecting the art of doing things you're not supposed to.

Shisui comes to stand behind him and dangles his right arm over Itachi's shoulder as he leans in against the younger Uchiha, a childish grin plastered on Shisui's face.

"Oi, Itachi, I want a little brother too~"

Itachi grins, head bowed.

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"Irasshaimaseee~", a girly voice flies across the air. Shisui has to cover his mouth with his hand to muffle a laugh; Itachi's eyes smile. Izumi stands tall amidst the crowd, raven hair tied up in a high onion bun flanked by tiger lilies matching the sunset colored obi tied around her waist. She's holding a tray of takoyaki, wide charming smile on her lips as she sweet talks to-be costumers into spending some coin on them. It's a baffling sight to the Uchiha boys, accustomed as they are to seeing her knuckles bleed in the training fields and deadly tomoe spin in her eyes.

Izumi's high-pitched cries are cut short when she catches sight of two dark familiar heads peering among the mass of people. She rushes to meet them, balancing the tray flat on her right palm.

"Looks like we might still make a girl out of you, Izumi-chan," Shisui teases, assessing at her from head to toe.

Izumi looks like she's about to forfeit her paycheck to throw the takoyaki tray at Shisui's face.

"Don't even," she warns, although the awkward smile shaping her lips betrays her. She glances down at her yukata. "I told cousin wearing white in a food stand was a bad idea, what if I get a sauce stain on it? But he just shrugged and said–" Izumi tilts her head to the side, voice dropping to a masculine tone, " _aren't you a ninja?"_ She rolled her eyes. "I think he thinks shinobi are like flawless super beings or something," she huffed. "As if."

"I think you look nice," Itachi offers with a smile, gaze roaming from the lilies entwined in her hair to her face.

Izumi stares back at him. Itachi's newly gifted blue kimono catches the sunlight peeking threw the colorful streamers hanging over them, making his charcoal colored eyes seem brighter than their usual pitch black. Her eyebrows start and pink shades her cheeks as she mumbles a quick strangled _thank you_ before adding _And now you two better buy me at least two servings!_

"Mother will swing by later, she had to go find a place to change Sasuke after he poured orange juice all over himself," Itachi explains.

Izumi notices he's still carrying a small plastic container, and Itachi heeds her silently pleading eyes with a smirk. He holds the cup for her with a whispered _here_ and she leans closer to take a sip of juice while still balancing the tray in one hand.

"Oi, I'm paying you to sell, not talk!" A male voice bellows from behind the line of people gathering behind the three Uchiha.

Izumi flinches, free hand firing up in the air to signal for two more minutes as she shouts an apology back at her cousin.

"Meet me at Yakiniku Q? My shift ends at 7, I bet we can still catch the fireworks then if we hurry. I know the best place to go to!" With that, Izumi scurries off to attend hungry costumers, little flowers dangling in her hair bun. A couple of them disentangle from her hair, soaring in the hot winds of Konoha before falling flat on the ground. Izumi disappears in the crowd.

Shisui waves goodbye to her running form, but Itachi glances down at the tiny fallen lilies.

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"I swear I'm never ever gonna complain about working at the Yamanaka's again," Izumi confesses, fanning herself with a pai pai as she stands between Itachi and Shisui, the smell of barbeque filling their nostrils, "cousin worked me to death. And it's _so._ _hot_!"

"One time I went on this mission – I'd just graduated from the Academy – were they had us rebuild a family's house almost from scratch after it burned down," Shisui almost shudders at the memory, "two weeks it took us, with Kage bunshin and all. Four words: summer, splinters, never again," he deadpans. "I'd rather be stranded in a forest for a month. Good luck on your Genin time," he says, voice full of sarcasm.

Izumi scrunches up her face at him.

Itachi listens to Shisui retell stories about his days as an Academy graduate, where all he had to do was scare away wild animals from farms and safeguard merchants instead of break people's necks and stab ninja in their homes. He's glad Shisui never confides the latter ones to Izumi, though if he did maybe that would stop her from following in his steps. Itachi takes a deep breath. _No. The chain will never be broken._ If it's not her, there will simply be someone else doing the killing. Such is the shinobi world.

He listens to Shisui and says nothing for other reasons, too. His senses tell him that something is off. He can't pinpoint what, but he feels it on his skin, making him too aware of his surroundings. They've been walking for five minutes by now, Izumi leading the way across the packed streets when Shisui's voice trails off mid-sentence and he tilts his head backwards.

Izumi doesn't seem to notice as she keeps on talking and walking in front of them, but Itachi picks up on Shisui's subtle movement. Shisui stops in his tracks then, finally catching Izumi's attention too.

"Sorry guys," Shisui brings one hand over his head, "but, um, duty calls." He glances at Itachi, "I need to come pick up those scrolls tomorrow morning, so don't go to sleep too late, eh?" He grins at Izumi, "better walk him up home least something happen to him, being all dolled up as he is."

Shisui disappears in a puff of smoke before Itachi can give him a murderous glare. Izumi's laughter is cut short as she gasps at Shisui's sudden disappearance.

"Eh? What the heck?" Izumi wonders.

Itachi's already looking past the mass of heads treading around them, following Shisui's previous focus, where he'd glanced over his shoulder. He spots a cloaked figure perched up in a building, shadowed by the array of colorful streamers that flutter over the village's streets on this day. Mask hiding his face, the figure straightens up before jumping in a flash, disappearing from sight.

Itachi feels Izumi move closer to him and whispers.

"ANBU."

.

.

* * *

 **\- Tiger Lilly: Symbolizes 'Wealth and Prosperity.'**

 **You might have noticed this chapter contains a lot less angst compared to the previous ones. There's honestly no major reason behind this, I guess this time I was just more inclined to write some needed fluff (okay, fluff-ish). You might have also noticed a pattern in my structure: that's on purpose. I will keep on using time skips because I like the more abrupt snippet style for the reconstructing-past-events type of stories. However, all scenes follow the Canon timeframe of the series and I will never write one snippet after another just because. There'll be correlation, obviously.**

 **I also hope the use of japanese words now and then does not distract you. I'm obviously not japanese, but I can't help it, I always incorporate japanese expressions in my stories:**

 **This being said, feedback would be awesome. As always, I'm open to suggestions :)**

 **ps, If you've never had Takoyaki, I suggest you hunt down whatever local japanese izakaya you might have nearby, and try them.**


	4. Little crow, listen to the music

**Before someone points out the fact that it's been nearly eight months since I last updated this story... believe me, I know. I regret not having more time to dedicate to fanfiction, but that's just how life is. However, I'm deeply touched by all the reviews, favs/follows and pm's I've gotten from this story. The only reason it moves forward is because of your encouragement - okay, and my need to give Itachi and Shisui some love too.)**

* * *

 _._

 _._

" _She looked at me like I was crazy. Most of my lovers do, and that's partly why they love me, and partly why they leave."_

 _._

 _._

 _Tenma uttered a sound so strange, it was hard to believe it came from a human being. His body flew up into the air. Fresh blood gushed from the boy's torso, flowing to the ground like a waterfall. Tenma convulsed in tiny seizures, but gradually grew quieter, until he finally stopped moving completely._

" _Those who would rush forward, recklessly seeking distinction, die young. That is the reality of the world of the ninja. But it's already too late to teach you that, hm?"_

" _Of course you did not fall, hm? And you did not foolishly charge like this child, but attempted instead to coolly assess both your power and mine. Wonderful, Uchiha Itachi."_

" _I'm a ninja of Konoha –" Itachi felt a pressure like he was being choked._

 _The masked man came up beside him._

" _Could you say what you said before one more time?" The man coked his head to one side._

" _I'm a ninja of Konoha," Itachi said, hoarsely._

" _Does that indicate you wish to die?"_

Itachi's eyes shot open, sweat dripping down the back of his neck. He grips the sheets beneath him, reaching for ground. He catches his breath at the sight of a bundle tucked next to him. _Sasuke._ He must've snuck into the room while he was sound asleep. Sasuke stirrs next to Itachi, but his sleep remains undisturbed. With measured steps, Itachi rises from the futon, tugging the sheets back over Sasuke.

He can practically hear the images ringing in his ears, words beating loud as drums. He's sure he will never forget Tenma's death, or the masked man's power; how he read Itachi like an open book. Itachi senses the tomoe spinning in his eyes, sharingan awakened by fresh memories.

 _The man looked up toward the sky, blotted out by the thick cannopy above._

" _That chakra," he murmured, "Hatake Kakashi..."_

 _He turned his face back down toward Itachi. "A narrow escape for you, Uchiha Itachi."_

He'd sounded reminiscent, lost in thought. What could that boy Kakashi had to do with him? As far as Itachi knew, Hatake was just another talented ninja. The most striking about him was the sharingan he held in his left eye, but that was well accounted for. Itachi kept trying to avoid thinking about his team member's death; mission's went down south all the time, but nightmares kept on coming for him, poking Itachi's mind, as if screaming at him _you're missing something._ But was he? Or was it just... grief?

 _As Itachi stood there dumbfounded, four figures dropped down from the sky above. They wore animal masks._

" _Are you all right?!" The shortest of the four, a boy with gray hair in a fox mask, shook Itachi by the shoulders. "Hey! What happened?"_

 _The other three ANBU rushed to release Shinko and Yuki-sensei from the genjutsu._

" _Can you hear me kid? Can you tell me your name?"_

 _The boy's voice seemed distant, as if Itachi's mind were clouded by the drilling sound of a nearby waterfall._

" _Uchiha Itachi...", Itachi mumbled, slowly. It didn't sound true, he didn't want it to be true. "Uchiha Itachi..." he whispered again. This time, he glanced up at the boy. "Hatake Kakashi..."_

 _Kakashi's eyebrows shot up._

" _How do you... it doesn't matter, what happened here? We were patrolling and heard screaming."_

 _A high-pitched voice interrputed his thoughts. Itachi saw two of the ANBU holding Shinko steady as she shrieked her lungs off._

" _What the- Tenma! Fuck, fuck, fuck!" She was crying like a baby, scrambling up from the ground, trying to force herself out of the ANBU's grip. "Let me go, let me go – I don't wanna die!"_

 _Yuki-sensei stepped in between them to comfort her, trying to make her snap out of it and realize these people were ANBU from Konoha. Itachi just stared at Shinko, dazed. Kakashi loosened his grip on Itachi's shoulders._

" _I know this is tough, but you're gonna be okay, Itachi. You hear me?"_

 _Itachi glanced back at Kakashi, but his gaze kept reaching over Kakashi's shoulders to Tenma's corpse, which was being scanned by one of the ANBU. It was part of their job after all, making sure the enemy had not killed him for genetic material or specific body parts of battle interest._

" _Do you know who did this?" Kakashi pushed on._

 _Itachi could hear Shinko sobbing nearby._

" _He's dead he's dead he's dead he's head..."_

" _He wore a mask," Itachi murmured. "Not like an ANBU mask, it was just plain orange. He attakced us out of the blue, it all happened in less than two minutes. He cast a genjutsu, but I dodged it", he wavered, "Tenma dodged it too..." he frowned, "He knew my name."_

 _"The attacker knew your name?"_

 _"... Yes."_

" _Would you say you were his target, then?"_

 _Itachi hesitated._

" _No... maybe. But if I_ was _his target, his goal was not to kill me, or else I'd be dead."_

 _Kakashi hummed in agreement._

" _Did you notice anything else? Maybe he said something?"_

" _He didn't just leave, he kind of... vanished... into himself? His whole body began to shake, and he disappeared in a whirlwind."_

 _Itachi could imagine Kakashi frowning behing his mask._

" _Interesting..."_

 _Tell him he said his name before the ANBU showed up. Before_ he _showed up._ Hatake Kakashi. _Tell him he knows him, that he recognized his chakra._

" _That's all?" Kakashi asked._

" _He's dead he's dead he's dead he's dead..." Shinko had lost it._

 _A narrow escape for you, Uchiha Itachi._

" _I'm sorry, that's all," Itachi confirmed._

Itachi was taken back to reality at the sight of his parents' room dimly lit, and voices whispering behind shogi doors.

"I really don't think he should go back now..." Mikoto murmurs.

"Nonsense, people die in battle: that's a reality," Fugaku counters , his voice hard. "He has the potential to soar to greatness; he'll make Chunnin soon enough."

"He's just a child...!" Mikoto slashes back, failing to keep her voice down.

"He's a shinobi," Fugaku deadpans. "He's an Uchiha, and he's my son", he stresses, as if that encompasses the totality of Itach's self.

Silence falls over the household, and Itachi leans his back against the hallway wall, head tilted upward, eyes closed.

"I won't let you pressure him into going back to missions," Mikoto declares, "He will do so only when he feels ready."

Itachi can almost see his mother glowering at his father.

"It's been two months now since the incident. He _must_ feel ready soon," Fugaku keeps pressing on. "I have big plans for him."

The room goes silent once again, and Itachi can hear bodies shifting in bed as the lights go off. He stands in the hallway one, two, five minutes still, listening to his shallow breathing only. He finally makes his way to the kitchen, pours himself a glass of water and makes his way back up to his room, where Sasuke is still soundly asleep; tiny body spread wide over the futon. Itachi carefully sets himself next to Sasuke, head propped on one hand to stare at his little brother. His other hand dances up and down Sasuke's stomach a few inches above, careful not to touch him. Itachi feels himself falling, but Sasuke is laying beside him with peace of mind.

" _I know this is tough, but you're gonna be okay, Itachi."_

 _._

 _._

"Please select the correct answer. Oh, and it says you can only pick one answer for each question," Shisui explains. "Geez, in my times several answers could be right, which made it even harder to cross out the wrong ones."

"Why do you sound like an old man...?" Itachi trails off.

"Okay, okay, I'm going to nail this," Izumi nods eagerly, eyes fixed on Shisui.

Shisui clears his throat, and straightens up.

"Question 1. Finish the saying: _"_ If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself..."

"Whaaat?" Izumi scrunches up her face, looking like she just smelled something awful. "What kind of question is that?!"

"It's a saying", Itachi intervenes, "From _The art of war_."

Izumi stares at Itachi, still visibly confused. Itachi gives her a half smile, amused by the look on her face.

"It's a book?" He offers.

Shisui slams his hand down on the table. "Have you even read any of the materials?!"

Izumi and Itachi jump at Shisui's outburst, but are greeted with loud laughter.

"You're impossible, you know? There's no way you're passing this test."

"No! I _will_ pass!" Izumi squeaks, forehead glued to the floor before Shisui. "Please help me out, Shisui! I don't want Nakamura-sensei to scold me again! She's scary..." Izumi pleads dramatically, feigning tears.

"That's what we are here f-"

Shisui slams both hands on the table now, cutting off Itachi, and stands up.

"You promise to forsake sleep for this test?"

"Yes!"

"Promise to forsake food?

"Yes!"

"Promise to forsake your family?!

"Okay that's way too-"

"Yes!"

Itachi sighs.

"Good", Shisui grins. "Because I will pester you until you get every single question right, and you will ace this."

"Yes!" Izumi exclaims with utmost devotion.

"You two are insane..." Itachi mumbles.

"Now," Shisui goes on, ignoring Itachi. "For next day, you will have memorized _The art of war._ Okay maybe not all of it, it's the longest thing ever, but at least study _Strategic attack,_ _Weaknesses and strength_ s, and _Variations and adaptability –_ those are chapters," Shisui clarifies. He sits back down, and grabs the ten sheets of paper from his desk.

"Should we move on to question 2?"

"Yes!"

Shisui grins. "Why, you're so well-disposed today, Izumi. If only you'd stay like that."

Izumi crosses her arms over her chest and grumbles.

"Question 2. Who are the current members of the Seven ninja sowrdsmen of the mist?"

"Ah! I know that one!" Izumi pipes. "Akebino Jinin," she lifts one hand and starts counting with her fingers, "Biwa Juzo, Hozuki Mangetsu, Kuriarare Kushimaru... Kurosuki Raiga, Munashi Jinpachi, and Suikazan Fuguki."

"Wow, that's actually right," Shisui smiles in amazement.

"Hey, don't act so surprised!" Izumi moans.

"Acually, you're wrong," Itachi interrupts.

Shisui and Izumi both glare at Itachi.

"No way! I know about them from when my father was working in Kirigakure!" Izumi cries.

"The cheat sheet says that's the right answer..." Shisui adds.

"But Suikazan Fuguki was recently killed, remember? That Kiri rogue nin..." Itachi narrows his eyes, deep in thought.

"Oh yeah, the creepy shark guy," Shisui's eyes lit up.

"What?" Izumi protests.

"Yeah, yeah," Shisui nods, "I remember his face on the Bingo Book," he looks at Izumi and points at his canine teeth, "he's a big blue ugly shark-faced guy. Unreal."

"Ew, that's gross. But my answer is still right until the materials are updated! You only know this because you are a jonin, Shisui..." She glances at Itachi, "and Itachi knows because he's Itachi."

Shisui laughs, watching Itachi sag.

"Question 3. What is the Valley of the End named after?"

"Hmm... isn't that something about the First Hokage?" Izumi ponders.

"It definitely has _something_ to do with the Shodaime..." Shisui pitches.

Izumi chews at her lip, rolling her eyes.

"There was a battle... the First Hokage..." she plays with her memories.

"Blood feud..." Shisui throws in.

Izumi's eyes widen.

"Yes, yes! Okay, I got it. The Valley of the End is where the First Hokage fought Uchiha Madara not long after Konoha was founded. There's a statue of them at the valley," Izumi asserts, eyes shining.

"Jackpot," Shisui announces. He feels Izumi grow somber.

"It's also when the nine tails was sealed and brought to Konoha..."

Seeing Izumi sulk, Itachi and Shisui glance at each other in understanding. It's hard to believe two years have already gone by since Konoha's darkest night. Itachi's mind shudders at the memory of the village's rampage - his home - crumbling to pieces on the whim of a nine-tailed beast of legend. And a girl. He thinks of a girl, too, screaming, covered in blood under the moonlight.

"Maybe if we hadn't gotten our hands on it, all the... people would... things would have been avoided," she stumbles. "Why would someone think the village would be safe with the beast living right next to us?"

Shisui leans onto the table, chin resting over his hands.

"Honestly, for all their power, I think the founders were not at all that clever," Shisui smiles sadly. "They kept patching up everything that cracked, and didn't really stop to think of what would happen when they couldn't keep on sticking together the pieces of the wreckage."

Izumi brings her kneews to her chin, hugging herself. Itachi scoots closer to her.

"Then what? What happens when things start cracking again and there's no way to fix them?" Izumi murmurs.

"We find a way," Itachi claims. He searches for Izumi's gaze; finds it clouded by doubt, and fear, and dissappointment. _By reality,_ he thinks. "We find a way to make things right," Itachi reassures her, "instead of just making them go on." But the tiny voice in the back of his head is restless.

 _...you're missing something_ _you're missing something_ _you're missing something..._

.

.

 **To those of you who have yet to read Itachi shinden: do it. They're not exceptional "novels", but they make for an entertaining read, specially for those of us who will forever want to know more and more about Itachi. Some of the dialogues in the beginning flashback were taken from _Itachi's story: Daylight, -_ although I won't tell you exactly what ;) -just so you guys could get a glimpse of what is now officially considered to be canon regarding Itachi's childhood. I thought you might enjoy getting to read some of it, even if brief.**

 **Please let me know your thoughts on this chatper :)**


	5. If I never knew you

**Well this chapter didn't take so long, did it? I guess I tried to make it up to you guys for taking forever in updating last chapter. Hope you like it!**

.

.

 _"I carry the seeds of death within me and plant them wherever I linger long enough to love."_

 _._

.

"Wow, what is _that_ supposed to be?"

Itachi's hand goes still. He stares at his creation, eyebrows raised.

"A Konoha headband."

Shisui bristles.

"Yeah maybe made by Sasuke here."

Sasuke tiptoes over the counter and scrunches up his nose.

"I can draw waaaay better than that," he announces, child pride from head to toe.

Itachi sighs.

"Don't sweat it, your lack of artistic sensibilities only proves you are human after all," Shisui winks at Sasuke, who nods his head with fierce determination as if he actually understands what has just been said.

"Want to try?" Itachi offers Shisui the piping bag.

"No thanks," he waves him off, "I'm going to stick with a classic _congrats_."

Itachi rolls his eyes. "This wasn't my idea."

"I can see that," Shisui grins, taking a bite at a glazed strawberry.

Sasuke pushes himself on top of the kitchen counter and takes the piping bag from Itachi.

"My turn now!"

Itachi steadies his brother, one hand on his back, the other one gently on his arm to help him hold the pastry bag over the cake.

"I should have kept some of the cookies Azusa gave me - ah, did I tell you about that? Shisui boasts. Itachi's lack of interest does not deter him, as usual. "It was the cutest thing, she bought them somewhere in Yugakure where her uncles live and brought me a bunch, she was as red as a tomato the poor thing. I think she has a crush on me," Shisui swanks.

"Poor thing indeed, then," Itachi affirms, the tiniest of smiles on his lips.

"You jealous?" Shisui sneers; elbow propped on the countertop, chin resting on his palm. Itachi puffs.

"You wish."

"Of course I do!" Shisui jumps, startling Sasuke, who throws his head back to stare at his brother. "Then I could do your hair on your dates..." Shisui trails off, laughing. Itachi's about to throw Shisui an apple from the fruit bowl. Or the whole fruit bowl.

"Niisan doesn't like it when people touch his hair," Sasuke interrupts, sticky hands tugging at his brother's shirt. Itachi smiles down at him.

"Oi, what did you draw on the cake, Sasuke?" Shisui leans over the counter, next to Itachi.

Sasuke puffs out his chest, arms crossed over it. "It's the Uchiha crest, hmph, don't you see?" He musters full of conviction. Shisui can't help but laugh at Sasuke's attempt at sounding grown-up and at how much he can resemble Fugaku at times, so unlike his brother. He stops himself though when he sees the look on Itachi's face. Pain and sadness, but they flicker like a bird flapping its wings and they're gone altogether as fast as lighting. Sasuke starts telling Shisui about his latest art project at the Academy and Shisui can only nod and feign the upmost excitement, but Itachi's eyes are glued to the cake, to the red and white fan, and he stares and stares and stares and stares and…

"Uah, did Sasuke do all the icing?" Izumi stares down at the chocolate cake, beaming. "Is that supposed to be a Konoha headband?" Shisui bursts out laughing; Itachi's head hanging in between his shoulders.

"This is great..." Shisui mumbles, tears in his eyes.

"Shisui go to He-"

"I haven't had cake in months," Izumi squeals.

"You liar, I saw you eat a whole piece of cheesecake last week after school," Shisui remarks.

Izumi scoffs.

"I meant _cake_ cake, cheesecake is a different matter."

"That makes no-"

"You didn't bring candles?" Izumi demands, "How am I supposed to make a wish now?"

"It's not your birthday, you dork!" Shisui exclaims, arms darting towards the air.

"I graduated from the Academy! That's a hundred times more important than a birthday!"

Itachi rubs his palm over his face, trying to tune out the two.

"Yeah, congratulations on your new bear hunting and cat rescue career," Shisui pokes Izumi's cheek.

"Shut up, Shisui!" Izumi tries a swing at him, but Shisui is fast to dodge, "You started off the same way and now you're jonin, I can get there too!"

"Thaaat's the spirit," Shisui proclaims, and Izumi is well aware of its sarcasm. "Speaking of which, duty calls," he waves goodbye, "or not, maybe, maybe not, you'll never know, can't say", he teases, grabbing Izumi by the shoulder, "but really, congratulations, you've done good, kid," Shisui grins, and with that he jumps on to the nearest rooftop. "See ya later!"

"I hate when he just leaves like that…" Izumi mumbles, watching Shisui slowly disappear out in the distance. She turns to Itachi -

"My mother made the cake," Itachi discloses before Izumi can speak, "she couldn't come but she told me to congratulate you on her behalf, she had – he hesitates, and stops himself before he makes a mistake. Izumi's eyebrows twitch, questioning. _She had to attend a private clan meeting._ "She had to take care of one of my cousins tonight", he resumes instead. Izumi stares at Itachi, silently, and for a second Itachi thinks she's going to call him out on his improvised lie, because she's not a genius, but not stupid either. She smirks, though.

"That's okay," she shrugs, "Shisui's right, it's not that a big deal anyway." She closes the box and puts back the cake in the plastic bag. "Genins take on the easiest missions, they shouldn't even be considered _ninja_ work. I have to go check on my mom at the hospital, walk with me?"

Itachi's eyes dart towards her. "The hospital?"

Izumi nods.

"Hm yeah, she keeps checking in and out, she's always had bad colds." She feels Itachi's eyes on her, and takes a glance to catch his gaze. "It's fine," she reassures him, "really."

So Itachi does not press further, but still wonders why she's never so much as mentioned this before. He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel slightly… disregarded? Which is unfair, seeing as he's the first to hide things from people.

Konoha's streets are bright and lively, bustling with the sweltering peak of the summer season, when the markets become flooded with foreign traders bringing rare and coveted goods and when finally released from the confinement of their classrooms, childrens' laughter fills every corner. The couple cut across town through the old district, hidden from the masses. Itachi peeks at Izumi now and then as they stroll down the streets. He expects her to start rambling at any second, but silence hangs between them all the way. He realizes he doesn't enjoy her being quite, and the thought strikes him.

"We should bring flowers," Itachi blurts out, catching her attention. Izumi flags her hands dismissively.

"What?" She stammers, "no, no, it's okay, you really don't have-"

But Itachi is already darting towards the flower shop he spotted a block behind them, so Izumi hurries after him, laughing as he teases Itachi for being such a "good boy." A good boy, who at chunnin would soon start killing people under orders for a piece of land. What a messed up world they lived in indeed.

.

.

"This is ridiculous," Itachi declares, and from any other it would've sounded angry, but Itachi seems more amused than anything.

"Itachi…" Mikoto soothes, but is interrupted by Fugaku.

"My decision is final," he proclaims, tightening the green jonin vest over his chest, "you will take no missions until further notice."

Itachi stares at his father, and the only thing that breaks the heavy silence is Sasuke trying to catch Mikoto's attention; tiny hands tugging at her dress, smile bright. _Okasan, are you listening?_

Itachi can only gaze at Fugaku's back as hands adjust the kunai and shuriken pouch under his vest. _Whatever_ , he's almost tempted to say, which is what Sasuke would always rumble when scolded, so instead he just answers: "Yes, father," and leaves the matter be. As Fugaku leaves the house, Sasuke steers Mikoto out of the hallway and into the kitchen.

Itachi just stands there, and sighs at all the drama. Really, all of this just because of a little girl? Hyuuga Hinata had been reported missing that evening, and it hadn't taken people long to figure out she'd been kidnapped, and most likely smuggled out of the village by now. Itachi had been approached by Yashiro and Inabi as he made his way to pick up Shisui from the police headquarters, and both Uchiha men had escorted him to his house under Fugaku's direct orders. Itachi had also been pulled out of his team's mission tonight.

It was of course, nearly impossible that he'd be targeted as well, one would have to be very foolish to think you could get away with kidnapping not one, but two kids from the most powerful shinobi families, and he was confident that unlike the young Hyuuga, they could not knocking him out so easily even if they tried. What Itachi's pretty sure of though, is that not even Fugaku would've been so strict about the matter if it hadn't been for Mikoto. She was probably the one who had advised father to have him and Sasuke watched over for the night.

Yet despite the odds, and despite the logic of his solid reasoning, Itachi finds himself restless. There are about a dozen Uchiha surrounding the household, all ready to take on anyone who dares lay a hand on the Uchiha heirs, and Itachi himself will kill anyone who comes near Sasuke, but his mind wanders to Izumi. Who's there for her? Itachi stands still, frozen in place. It's not even about safety, Itachi finds himself musing, who's there for Izumi, really? Ever since the Kyuubi attack, her mother seems to have faded into just the shell of the person she once was, according to Izumi. No one there to cook her meals when she comes back exhausted from school and training, no one there to cheer her on, to pick her back up when she falls.

Anyone could take Izumi and the world would just go on as it was. That thought alone makes him cringe.

Sneaking out of the Uchiha compound is a piece of cake. He knows what and how each roof tile creaks, knows every corner hidden in shadow and every tree shape. Itachi is out of the place in a flash, and no one even notices him leave the room. The waning moon barely shines through the clouds that night, but he finds his way to Izumi's small hut easily.

He taps the back of his fingers on the window glass, body crouched on the rooftop, and waits, but no movement follow. He leans towards the window then, gaze peeking through the glass to catch sight of anything, and spots Izumi sprawled all over the futon, one arm dangling onto the wooden floor. Gods, she slept like a rock.

Itachi sits on his knees, chiding himself for ever feeling the need to rush over here in the first place. He rests one hand against the window glass, sighing. Everything's fine, see?

He almost knocks again, if only to watch her stir, but he's afraid of what would happen if she actually did wake up. More at the fact that she'd probably start yelling at him and wake up the whole neighborhood than at having to explain why he was here anyway.

So instead Itachi just sits there for a while, content with watching over her sleep even with a piece of glass standing between them. It's always like this anyway, right? That big, fat, yet invisible wall reminding him that while Itachi's knuckles crack and bleed for what he hopes is the greater good and his hands yearn to reach for the peace that never comes, Izumi joggles jobs to pay rent, and puts a smile on her face the days her mother doesn't have the courage to get out of bed – for both of them.

Itachi lays his forehead against the window, next to his open palm, and smirks at no one. The Academy brats were right, he ponders, to call him spoiled, even if for the wrong reasons. But he gets it now – and will every time he looks at Izumi – what it means to have nothing and still be brave. To not be expected anything, but aspire to regardless. And if _she_ can be strong despite all the odds against her, then he knows he must be even stronger, because the world is wrong and evil, and when it comes down crashing, at least Itachi will be there for Izumi, when no one else would.

* * *

 **Please let me know how you feel about this chapter :)**


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